Strain engineered bandgaps
View Patent ↗An optoelectronic device as well as its methods of use and manufacture are disclosed. In one embodiment, the optoelectronic device includes a first optoelectronic material that is inhomogeneously strained. A first charge carrier collector and a second charge carrier collector are each in electrical communication with the first optoelectronic material and are adapted to collect charge carriers from the first optoelectronic material. In another embodiment, a method of photocatalyzing a reaction includes using a strained optoelectronic material.
1. An optoelectronic device comprising:
a first optoelectronic material that is inhomogeneously strained over at least one portion of the first optoelectronic material, wherein the inhomogeneous strain continuously and smoothly varies over the at least one portion of the first optoelectronic material; and
a first charge carrier collector and a second charge carrier collector each in electrical communication with the first optoelectronic material, wherein the first charge carrier collector and the second charge carrier collector collect charge carriers from the first optoelectonic material.
2. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first optoelectronic material is a sheet.
3. The optoelectronic device of claim 2 , wherein the sheet is a monolayer.
4. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first charge carrier collector includes an electron selective buffer layer and the second charge carrier collector includes a hole selective buffer layer.
5. The optoelectronic device of claim 4 , further comprising an anode associated with the hole selective buffer layer and a cathode associated with the electron selective buffer layer.
6. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first charge carrier collector and the second charge carrier collector are aligned.
7. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a third charge carrier collector and a fourth charge carrier collector each in electrical communication with the first optoelectronic material and adapted to collect charge carriers from the first optoelectonic material.
8. The optoelectronic device of claim 7 , wherein the third charge carrier collector is located concentrically around the first charge carrier collector, and wherein the fourth charge carrier collector is located concentrically around the second charge carrier collector.
9. The optoelectronic device of claim 7 , wherein a distance between the first and second charge carrier collectors and a distance between the third and fourth charge carrier collectors is less than or equal to a relaxation distance of an electron hole pair within the inhomogeneously strained sheet.
10. The optoelectronic device of claim 7 , wherein the third charge carrier collector and the fourth charge carrier collector are aligned.
11. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a substrate including a hole, wherein the first optoelectronic material is disposed on the substrate and above the hole, and wherein either the first charge carrier collector or the second charge carrier collector comprises an indenter adapted and arranged to inhomogeneously strain the first optoelectronic material.
12. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first optoelectronic material comprises a shape with a narrowing width, and wherein the shape is deformed to inhomogeneously strain the first optoelectronic material.
13. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first optoelectronic material comprises at least one of molybdenum disulfide, molybdenum diselenide, molybdenum ditelluride, tungsten disulfide, tungsten diselenide, tungsten ditelluride, chromium disulfide, chromium diselenide, chromium ditelluride, silicon, and gallium arsenide.
14. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the optoelectronic device is a light emitting diode, a solar cell, a photodetector, or an exciton laser.
15. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a second optoelectronic material that is inhomogeneously strained.
16. The optoelectronic device of claim 15 , wherein the second optoelectronic material is positioned below and aligned with the first optoelectronic material.
17. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first optoelectronic material absorbs electromagnetic radiation over a continuous range of wavelengths that is greater than a range of wavelengths over which electromagnetic radiation is absorbed by the optoelectronic material without strain.
18. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the inhomogeneous strain of the first optoelectronic material is dynamically variable.
19. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second charge carrier collectors are charge carrier injectors and the first optoelectronic material emits electromagnetic radiation.
20. The optoelectronic device of claim 19 , wherein the first optoelectronic material emits electromagnetic radiation over a continuous range of wavelengths greater than a range of wavelengths over which electromagnetic radiation is emitted by the first optoelectronic material without strain.
21. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first optoelectronic material absorbs electromagnetic radiation over an excitation energy range that is between or equal to 0.2 electron volts and 1.0 electron volts wide.
22. The optoelectronic device of claim 21 , wherein the excitation energy range is greater than 0.5 electron volts wide.
23. The optoelectronic device of claim 21 , wherein the excitation energy range is less than 0.9 electron volts wide.
24. The optoelectronic device of claim 2 , wherein the first optoelectronic material is an atomically thin sheet.
25. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first optoelectronic material is an ultrastrength material.
26. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first optoelectronic material is a planar optoelectronic material and the inhomogenous strain is an in-plane inhomeneous strain that continuously and smoothly varies over the at least one portion of the planar optoelectronic material.
27. The optoelectronic device of claim 1 , wherein the inhomogeneous strain is greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to 25%.
28. An optoelectronic device comprising:
a first optoelectronic material that is strained, wherein the strain of the first optoelectronic material is dynamically variable; and
a first charge carrier collector and a second charge carrier collector each in electrical communication with the first optoelectronic material, wherein the first charge carrier collector and the second charge carrier collector collect charge carriers from the first optoelectonic material.
29. The optoelectronic device of claim 28 , where the first optoelectronic material is inhomogeneously strained.
30. The optoelectronic device of claim 28 , wherein the first optoelectronic material is a sheet.
31. The optoelectronic device of claim 30 , wherein the sheet is a monolayer.
32. The optoelectronic device of claim 28 , wherein the first optoelectronic material is atomically thin.
33. The optoelectronic device of claim 28 , wherein the first optoelectronic material is an ultrastrength material.
34. The optoelectronic device of claim 28 , where the first optoelectronic material is homogeneously strained.
35. The optoelectronic device of claim 28 , wherein the first optoelectronic material is a planar optoelectronic material and the strain is an in-plane inhomeneous strain that continuously and smoothly varies over at least one portion of the planar optoelectronic material.
36. The optoelectronic device of claim 28 , wherein the strain is greater than or equal to 5% and less than or equal to 25%.